Cameron County records another death; Hidalgo reports 9 more cases

An 84-year-old woman died after testing positive for COVID-19, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. announced Wednesday in a news release.

According to the release, the woman was a resident of Windsor Atrium in Harlingen. This brings the total number of deaths related to COVID-19 to 17 in Cameron County, and 24 in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends on the loss of their loved one,” Trevino said in the release. “They are in our thoughts and prayers.”

An additional 14 people also tested positive for COVID-19 from Brownsville, Harlingen, Los Indios, Olmito and San Benito; their ages range from a 3-year-old to people in their 80s.

The total number of cases for Cameron County is now 401, with 178 individuals recovering.

Four cases are linked to a previous case, with two transmitted through the community and one being travel related.

In Hidalgo County, nine more people have tested positive for COVID-19, county Judge Richard F. Cortez announced in a news release, bumping the total there to 324.

The ages of these new Hidalgo County cases range from people in their 20s to people in their 70s — county officials’ preferred method of releasing ages — and come from Alamo, Edinburg, Mission, San Juan and Weslaco.

FIfteen people are in area hospitals, with two of them in intensive care units; 20 were released from isolation on Wednesday.

As of now, the county has conducted 4,072 of COVID-19 testing, with 3,638 returning negative and 110 pending.

According to the release, the testing is at a positive rate of 8.9%; the World Health Organization said a good benchmark for testing is 10% or lower.

“Having this data will be helpful as the state begins to reopen,” Cortez said in a release. “I’m a big proponent of using data as well as the advice of medical experts as a basis for decision-making about whether the reopening process is posing any concerns.”

On its Facebook page, Starr County announced a ninth person tested positive for COVID-19.

The Rio Grande City woman is in her late 60s and is under healthcare supervision; the county has no other information at the time.

As of now, seven cases in Starr County have fully recovered, with two recovering under medical supervision.